Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi)

Q: Does spikenard lower blood pressure?

One 40-person single-blind trial found systolic pressure fell about 10 mmHg in 4 weeks at 3 g/day in people already on blood-pressure drugs. It has not been replicated.

Q: Does it help sleep or anxiety?

One small Ayurvedic trial in 30 people aged 15–45 with insomnia reported better sleep onset and duration after a month of 12 g/day powder, but it had no placebo group (grade D). Calming effects are otherwise shown only in mice and rats.

Q: Can it be combined with sleeping pills?

It has not been studied. Animal data point to benzodiazepine-like effects, so added sedation is possible.

Q: What dose of spikenard was studied?

3 g/day in capsules for 4 weeks in the blood-pressure trial, and 4 g of powder three times a day (12 g/day) for 1 month in the insomnia trial.

Q: Is spikenard safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?

There are no safety data. Neither trial reports including pregnant or breastfeeding women, and NCCIH notes that many supplements have not been tested in pregnant women or nursing mothers.

Q: What is jatamansi?

The Ayurvedic name for Nardostachys jatamansi, also called Indian spikenard or muskroot; in Unani medicine it is Sumbul-ut-teeb. The rhizome is the part used.

Q: Is there evidence for depression?

A 2025 randomized trial of jatamansi added to escitalopram is indexed in PubMed without an abstract, so we have not graded it.

Also called Jatamansi, Indian spikenard, Muskroot, Nardostachys jatamansi, Sumbul-ut-teeb.

Best grade D across 2 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 7 sources

Spikenard, or jatamansi, is a rhizome used in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine for the heart and for sleep. One 40-person single-blind trial found lower blood pressure after 4 weeks at 3 g a day. A small comparative trial reported better sleep with the powder, but without a placebo group. Human safety data are thin.

Every graded outcome on this page

2 rows · line = participants

Grade DBlood pressure in stage 1 hypertensionBlood pressuren 40
Grade DPrimary insomnia (sleep onset, duration and disturbed sleep)Insomnian 30

Key facts

Blood pressure: In 40 adults with stage 1 hypertension, systolic pressure fell from 144 to 134 mmHg after 4 weeks with 3 g/day; it did not change with placebo¹
Sleep and anxiety: In 30 people aged 15–45 with primary insomnia, sleep onset and duration improved within both the jatamansi and valerian (tagara) groups over 1 month; there was no placebo group. Calming effects are otherwise shown in rats and mice^6,2,3
Depression: A 2025 trial of jatamansi added to escitalopram was published without an abstract and is not graded here⁴
Evidence base: Two small trials (blood pressure; insomnia without placebo); no meta-analysis or independent replication^1,6

What it is

Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) is a flowering plant whose rhizome is used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine.

How it works

Proposed

In mice, the rhizome powder shortened the time to fall asleep and lengthened pentobarbital-induced sleep, and an extract reduced anxiety-like behaviour; the antagonist flumazenil blocked that effect, pointing to GABA-benzodiazepine receptors. These are animal findings, and in mice little of the extract reached the brain.^2,3

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) forms compared

2 forms

Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Capsules (plant part and preparation not stated in the trial abstract)	Rhizome powder (churna)
Absorption in people	No human absorption data. In mice, a radiolabelled extract cleared from blood within 24 hours and little reached the brain.³	No human absorption data.⁶
GI tolerance	Adverse events are not described in the trial abstract.¹	Adverse events are not described in the trial abstract.⁶
Studied for	Blood pressure	Primary insomnia (12 g/day, with milk)

Capsules (plant part and preparation not stated in the trial abstract)
Absorption in people
No human absorption data. In mice, a radiolabelled extract cleared from blood within 24 hours and little reached the brain.³
GI tolerance
Adverse events are not described in the trial abstract.¹
Studied for
Blood pressure
Rhizome powder (churna)
Absorption in people
No human absorption data.⁶
GI tolerance
Adverse events are not described in the trial abstract.⁶
Studied for
Primary insomnia (12 g/day, with milk)

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

2 graded outcomes, largest study first

All 2 graded outcomes found an improvement. The largest, a 2020 randomized trial of 40 people on blood pressure in stage 1 hypertension, found an improvement.

By sizeTable

1Blood pressure in stage 1 hypertension

Improved · Grade D · RCT, 40 people, 2020

Adults aged 35-70 with stage 1 essential hypertension on up to 2 blood-pressure drugs (Bangalore, India)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Blood pressure in stage 1 hypertension	Improved	40	Grade D · RCT, 2020	Adults aged 35-70 with stage 1 essential hypertension on up to 2 blood-pressure drugs (Bangalore, India)
Primary insomnia (sleep onset, duration and disturbed sleep)	Improved	30	Grade D · Open-label trial, 2015	People aged 15–45 with primary insomnia at an Ayurvedic hospital in India (15 per group completed)

Every graded row

2 rows

Grade DBlood pressure in stage 1 hypertensionBlood pressureAbout 10 mmHg lower systolicRCT
n 40 · 2020

Improved Systolic pressure fell from 144.2 to 134.3 mmHg and diastolic from 94.9 to 83.1 mmHg with jatamansi (p < 0.001); placebo changed neither (143.4 to 142 and 95.1 to 94.8). The MINICHAL quality-of-life score improved with jatamansi only.

Design: RCT, n = 40, 2020
Population: Adults aged 35-70 with stage 1 essential hypertension on up to 2 blood-pressure drugs (Bangalore, India)
Form: N. jatamansi capsules vs placebo
Dose: 3 g/day (1 capsule 3 times a day)
Duration: 4 weeks
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 33066862 (opens PubMed)

Grade DPrimary insomnia (sleep onset, duration and disturbed sleep)InsomniaImprovedOpen-label trial
n 30 · 2015

Improved Within the jatamansi group, sleep initiation improved 61%, sleep duration 48% and disturbed sleep 53% (P < 0.001 versus baseline). The valerian group's percentages were higher, but the two groups differed significantly only in disturbance of daily routine.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 30, 2015
Population: People aged 15–45 with primary insomnia at an Ayurvedic hospital in India (15 per group completed)
Form: Jatamansi churna (N. jatamansi powder) vs tagara churna (Valeriana wallichii powder)
Dose: 4 g three times a day with milk (12 g/day)
Duration: 1 month
Source: Reference 6 · PubMed 26730138 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Two small trials carry the page

Every graded human result here comes from a 40-person single-blind blood-pressure trial and a 30-person insomnia trial without a placebo group; the calming reputation otherwise rests on rodent studies.^1,6,2,3

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 3 g/day in capsules (blood-pressure trial, 4 weeks) to 12 g/day of powder taken as 4 g three times a day with milk (insomnia trial, 1 month).^1,6

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Spikenard meets

1 cited row

Medicines 1

Spikenard1 medicine · 0 supplements

Supplements and foods 0

No supplement rows in our sources.

Measured in a human study

Interactions

1 agent

Published interactions, grouped by kind
Agent	What the source says	Evidence
Medicines1
Blood-pressure medicinese.g. Antihypertensives such as ACE inhibitors or calcium-channel blockers	In the only trial, participants were already on up to two blood-pressure drugs and their pressure fell a further 10/12 mmHg, so an added lowering effect is possible.¹	RCT

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Spikenard and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Spikenard.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

4 groups

People on sedatives or sleep medicines: In mice, jatamansi lengthened drug-induced sleep and acted through the same receptors as benzodiazepines, and an insomnia trial used it as a sleep aid. No human study has tested it with sedatives, so added drowsiness is possible but unstudied.^2,3,6
People with low blood pressure: Blood pressure fell about 10 mmHg in 4 weeks in the trial, on top of existing medicines.¹
People on other medicines: No interaction studies exist for blood thinners, diabetes drugs or antidepressants.^1,4
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: No safety data: LactMed has no entry, neither trial reports including pregnant or breastfeeding women, and NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women or nursing mothers.^5,1,6

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

Check the Latin name

Look for Nardostachys jatamansi. The name jatamansi is also used for Valeriana jatamansi (Indian valerian), a different plant with its own research.^1,7

Plant part and amount

The rhizome is the part used. Trials gave 3 g/day in capsules and 12 g/day of powder; compare the daily total on the label with those amounts.^1,6

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, spikenard (nardostachys jatamansi) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers

Does spikenard lower blood pressure?

One 40-person single-blind trial found systolic pressure fell about 10 mmHg in 4 weeks at 3 g/day in people already on blood-pressure drugs. It has not been replicated.¹

Does it help sleep or anxiety?

One small Ayurvedic trial in 30 people aged 15–45 with insomnia reported better sleep onset and duration after a month of 12 g/day powder, but it had no placebo group (grade D). Calming effects are otherwise shown only in mice and rats.^6,2,3

Can it be combined with sleeping pills?

It has not been studied. Animal data point to benzodiazepine-like effects, so added sedation is possible.³

What dose of spikenard was studied?

3 g/day in capsules for 4 weeks in the blood-pressure trial, and 4 g of powder three times a day (12 g/day) for 1 month in the insomnia trial.^1,6

Is spikenard safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?

There are no safety data. Neither trial reports including pregnant or breastfeeding women, and NCCIH notes that many supplements have not been tested in pregnant women or nursing mothers.⁵

What is jatamansi?

The Ayurvedic name for Nardostachys jatamansi, also called Indian spikenard or muskroot; in Unani medicine it is Sumbul-ut-teeb. The rhizome is the part used.^1,2

Is there evidence for depression?

A 2025 randomized trial of jatamansi added to escitalopram is indexed in PubMed without an abstract, so we have not graded it.⁴

Sources

7 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

7 sources

1Efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC in essential hypertension: A randomized controlled study.RCT Complement Ther Med, 2020 · PMID 33066862
2Central nervous system depressant activity of Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi DC.) rhizome.Animal study Ayu, 2020 · PMID 35813358
3Anxiolytic actions of Nardostachys jatamansi via GABA benzodiazepine channel complex mechanism and its biodistribution studies.Animal study Metab Brain Dis, 2018 · PMID 29934858
4Efficacy of Nardostachys Jatamansi DC as an adjuvant to escitalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder - A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.RCT Asian J Psychiatr, 2025 · PMID 40651126
5Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
6A comparative clinical study on the effect of Tagara (Valeriana wallichii DC.) and Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi DC.) in the management of Anidra (primary insomnia).Open-label trial Ayu, 2015 · PMID 26730138
7Chemotypic diversity and neuroactive potential of Valeriana jatamansi Jones: a systematic review on phytochemistry, pharmacology and standardisation challenges.Review Nat Prod Res, 2026 · PMID 42439713

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026summary, key facts, evidence, forms, studied doses, who should be careful, label guide, insights, FAQ	A–Z audit. Added the insomnia trial of jatamansi powder versus valerian (PMID 26730138; no placebo, grade D), a powder form, studied doses (3–12 g/day), a label guide naming Valeriana jatamansi as a different plant (42439713), and two FAQs. PubMed search through 2026 found no meta-analysis or placebo-controlled sleep trial; a 2025 Shirodhara oil study (39874651) used the oil on the head, not by mouth, and is not graded. No LactMed, LiverTox, NCCIH or ODS entry exists for spikenard. Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: the insomnia trial enrolled people aged 15–45 (not adults only), and the valerian group was not significantly better for sleep onset, duration or disturbed sleep, only for daily-routine disturbance.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
Oct 14, 2026who should avoid	Pregnancy and breastfeeding caution re-sourced to NCCIH (agency source) instead of trial reports	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: adversarial review
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi)

Medicines 1

Supplements and foods 0

Blood-pressure medicines